Afghan Men Quietly Resist Taliban Ban on Girls’ Education

Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, girls have been banned from schooling beyond the primary level and women’s employment has been severely restricted. Credit: Learning Together.by External Source (kabul)Thursday, September 10, 2026Inter Press Service KABUL, September 10 (IPS) - Many wonder why men in Afghanistan do not protest when women’s rights are trampled upon. In reality, many are rebelling behind the scenes, for instance, by helping their daughters get an education. “The only thing I can leave my daughter is an education”, says Yaser.Every day before leaving for work, he checks whether the internet is working. He does this not for himself, but for his 18-year-old daughter, Mariam. Mariam has been unable to attend school for five years, but she can still study online, provided the internet connection holds.Mariam shares this plight with two million other girls. When the Taliban seized power in August 2021, it became the only country in the world to ban girls from schooling beyond the primary level and severely restrict women’s employment. Afghan women have never been as invisible as they are now.“I cannot reopen schools, but I encourage my daughter to continue her ...